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clockwise
from top left:
Chef Fabio
Viviani and
Sunda
restaurateur
Billy Dec are
each branching
out with new
media projects
celebrating
their love
of food.
NOTABLE CHICAGO PERSONALITIES BILLY DEC AND
FABIO VIVIANI STAMP THEIR FOODIE-CENTRIC BRANDS
ON A PAIR OF AMBITIOUS SIDE PROJECTS.
BY ELAINE GLUSAC
FOOD FOR
THOUGHT
Side hustles aren't new
for celebrity chefs, but as
barriers to media entry
increasingly dissolve, local
notables are stepping out
of the kitchen to satisfy the
content-hungry.
Recently, restaurateur
and man about town
Billy Dec debuted his
foodie podcast, "The Meal
of Your Life" (free on
iTunes), holding one-on-
one conversations with
chefs, restaurateurs, and
celebrities about their most
memorable meals. His
bestie David Schwimmer
kicked off the series,
identifying his childhood
favorite as "the average
meal at the family table."
Says Dec, "I think it's an
important time for people
to gather, talk, understand,
celebrate, and learn more
about each other, different
cultures [and] perspectives,
life—all of which I hope
this promotes."
Meanwhile, Siena
Tavern dynamo and Top
Chef alum Fabio Viviani
has doubled down on side
projects, designing a
lexicon of oozing cheese-
burgers and decadent
donuts in the seductive
new Food Porn Emoji (also
free on iTunes), and
channeling his ineffable
energy into a new YouTube
show, "Fabio's Kitchen."
In each weekly episode,
Viviani creates a unique
dish ranging from nonna's
meatballs to modern mac
and cheese, many drawn
from his new book, Fabio's
30-Minute Italian. "When it
comes to TV, you have to
wait for a network to give
you a show," says Viviani.
"I'm not in the business of
waiting for business—I
create my own!"
.
PHOTOGRAPHY
BY
MATT
ARMENDARIZ
(VIVIANI,
PASTA);
COURTESY
OF
ROCKIT
RANCH
PRODUCTIONS
(SUNDA,
DEC)
"IT'S AN IMPORTANT
TIME TO GATHER,
CELEBRATE, AND
LEARN MORE ABOUT
EACH OTHER."
—billy dec
76 MICHIGANAVEMAG.COM
SCENE BUZZ